Forming and filling packages and apparatus therefor



Feb. 10, 1959 J. DREEBEN 2,872,762

FORMING AND FILLING PACKAGES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 27, 1956INVEN OR fac/f' firee em ATTORNEY United States Patent FORMING A'NDFELING PACKAGES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Jack Dreeben, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 27, 1956, Serial No. 612,557

8 Claims. (Cl. 53-28) This invention relates to forming and fillingpackages and apparatus therefor.

It has heretofore been proposed to draw transparent synthetic plasticsheet material from a web roll, form the web about a tube into a bag orenvelope and apply a longitudinal seal along the web, fill the bag orenvelope through the tube, seal the top of one package with simultaneoussealing of the bottom of the succeeding package, and sever the sealintermediate its top and bottom edges to separate the packages, this allbeing effected in a timed sequence.

The materials heretofore employed have been of the non-elongatable type,such as regenerated cellulose in sheet form, available as cellophane,and also of the highly elongatable type, such as polyethylene.

The forming tubes heretofore available were suitable for formingpackages Where loose fill of the package was permissible but were notsatisfactory where a tight fill or minimum of clearance between thearticle and the bag or envelope was desired.

It has heretofore been considered essential to support the material ofwhich the package was made by an abutment, usually in the form of afilling tube, towards which the longitudinal heat sealer was advanced toprovide the longitudinal seal at the overlapped edges of the web.

It is the principal object of the present invention to elfect thefilling of the package with a minimum of clearance between the contentsand the side wall of the package.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedcharacter of web forming device for package making and with which a Widerange of transverse package shapes can be formed with the side wall ofthe package conforming to the shape of the article or contents packaged.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedcharacter of web forming device with which a minimum clearance betweenthe contents and the side wall of the package can be attained withsingle or solid articles. 7

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple buteffective attachment for package forming machines by which sheetmaterial from the web roll can be formed into a tube for longitudinalsealing and other operations where a tight fill of the packageisrequired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, for packageforming and filling machines, a simple but effective forming and fillingdevice with which a package conforming closely to the shape of anarticle therein can be made.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus for forming and fillingpackages illustrative of the invention;

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Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one form of package forming and fillingshoe in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the shoe shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of another form of package forming and fillingshoe in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the shoe shown in Fig. 4.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide package making machines whichinclude a Web roll 10 as shown in Fig. 1 having thereon a supply ofsheet material to be made into a succession of longitudinally sealedtubular packages with transverse seals at each end.

The prior package making machines also included a forming shoe 11 towhich the sheet material was advanced from the supply on the web roll10, the advancing being effected by a pair of horizontally separablegripping jaws 12 in engagement with the tubular web. The gripping jaws12, customarily provided with heat sealing portions 13 were reciprocatedin a vertical path by their supports 14, the length of the strokedetermining the length of the package. The supports 14 were separated atthe bottom of the stroke and moved upwardly in open position, thenclosed at the top of their stroke to bring the heat sealing portions 13of the jaws 12 into gripping relation to the tubular conformation of thesheet material provided by the forming shoe 11. I

Either during a period of rest or during the downward movement of theweb of sheet material a longitudinal seal was provided by a longitudinalheat sealer 15 and the articles were delivered into the tubular formedweb through 'a filling tube interiorly disposed in spaced relation tothe forming shoe 11.

During the downward movement of the jaws 12, also, a transverse seal wasapplied to the tubular sheet material which was severed intermediate thetop and bottom margins of the transveresly sealed area so that thetransverse sealprovided a sealed transverse top margin of the filledpackage and a sealed transverse bottom margin of the package to befilled. Repetition of the operations just referred to provided asuccession offilled, sealed and separated packages.

It was heretofore considered essential to employ a filling tube whichextended below the shoe and provided an abutment for the longitudinalheat sealer. Such tubes and the shoes used therewith were customarilycircular in cross section. The thickness of the tube prevented completefilling of and elimination of the space between the article and theinner face of the side .wall of the package.

In accordance with the present invention the hollow circular fillingtube formerly employed is discarded and a web tube forming shoehaving'different major and minor axial distances in horizontal crosssection is employed,

as hereinafter explained.

-For packages of highly elongatable material, -web feeding or slackcontrol mechanism interposed between the web roll 10 and the shoe 11can'be employed, as"

shown in my prior application for patent filed July 20, 1956, Serial No.599,204, which isnow abandoned. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a shoe 111 is'there shown which isparticularly suited for the making of packages of the character referredto and wherein the article has a minimum clearance-or substantially noPatented Feb. 10, was

clearance with respect to the inner face of the tubular Web.

The shoe 111 has a lower solid mounting ring section 16 and an uppersection 17. The shoe 111 is shown ashaving both the lower section 1e andthe" upper section 17 elliptical in horizontal cross section, and havingmajor and minor axes of the proper length to accommodate the article tobe packaged. Merely by way'of illustrationit can be noted that the shoe111 is suitable for use in packaging individual loaves of bread ofelliptical, oval or similar cross section.

The lower section 16hr the shoe 111 has amounting bracket arm 18connected thereto and extending there from. for supporting the shoe 111in the'machin'e';

The upper section 17" is-secured toand carried by the lower section 16"and has overlapping end portions 19 and 20 free frorndirect attachmentto the lower-section 16 and in spaced relation to provide clearance forthe web;

The top margin of the upper section 17 has an elevated part 21-. withdownwardly sloping parts 22 on each side andoverlapping end parts 23. Asshown, the difference in elevation between the highest part of the topmargin of the upper section 17 and the intersection of the overlappedparts of the top margin is suitable for the nonelongatable materialsalthough, if desired, the top margin can have parts with differences inelevation to accommodate highly elongatable' materials, as shown in myprior. application filed August 1', 1956, Serial No. 601,529, which isnow Patent No. 2,840,966,

Referring now to Figs; 4 and 5, a shoe 211 is there shown which is alsosuited for'the making of packages wherein the article has a minimumclearance or substantially no clearance with respect to the inner faceof the tubular'web.

The shoe 211 has a lower solid mounting ring section 1-16 and an uppersection 1 17. The shoe 211 is shown as fi'attened with straight flatsides and semhci'rcular ends;

and having major and minor axes of the proper length toaccommodate thearticle to be packaged. Merely by way of illustration it can be notedthat the shoe 211 is suitable for use in packaging individual foldedhandkerchiefs, sponges, soap, and the like, of comparable cross'section. The term article as used herein has reference to one or moreitems which when enclosed by I the web do not have any marked tendencyto disperse, and which inherently provide some measure of rigidity.

The lower section 116 of the shoe 211 has a mounting bracket arm 118connected thereto and extending'the'refrom for supporting" the shoe 211in the machine.

The shoe 211 has overlapping end. portions 19 and 20, as' before, andmarginal portions' 21, 22 and 23, as previously ex lained.

In use, a web of sheet material to be formed into a tube. for packagemaking is delivered in flat condition from the web roll' Ill'and isdelivered over the top marginal edge of the shoe III or 211 and thendownwardly in the interior thereof with one marginal edge of the webbeing guided'b'y the end 19' and the other by the end 201mbcrossed"andoverlappedrelation and'so as' to be straight in theiroverlapped downward movement. The web edges thus maintain themselves. intheir proper positionv for longitudihall sealing.

Thearticleto' be packaged is introducedinto the shoe 111 or'211' duringthe downward movement of the jaws 12.

The hollow tubular web as thus formed and with the articlethereinandprior to the completion of the downward strokeis readyforlon'gitudinal'sealing by the heat'sealerils, the1article'= and thetension imparted by the jaws 12: to the web providing" a sutficientsupport or:

abutment for. the pressing-iaction of the heat seale'ragainsttheoverlappedmargins. The heat sealer 15' is ofsufiicientlength-to provide a longitudinal seal which is longerthanthearticle'andithecompleted package sothat there is no unsealedlongitudinal margin. The hollow tubular web can also have transverseseals simu1= taneously applied thereto by the heat sealing portions 13of the jaws 12. i

The tubular web will conform to the transverse external shape of thearticle so that rectangular, square, elliptical, oval, or other shapesof packages can be made which differ from the interior shape of the shoe111 or 211,. and with the article having a tight fit with respect to theinner face of the web in the finished package. None of the interior areaof the package is required to be occupied during filling by anythingother than the article itself.

I claim:

1. The method of making packages from a continuous web of sheet materialwhich comprises advancing the sheet material and forming the same undertension into a vertical tube with the longitudinal edges in overlappedrelation and with the tube having a lower transverse" seal, inserting anarticle into the tube in'close' engagement with the inner face of thetube and supported by the transverse seal and the tension of the tube,and vertically longitudinally heat sealingv said edges together with thearticle providing an interior support for the longitudinal sealing, theportion of the tube at which thesealing of the edges is efiected beingfree from sidewis'e restraint other thanthat of its own tension.

2. The'rnethod of making packages from a continuous web of sheetmaterial which comprises advancing" the sheet material over aninternally unobstructed tube former and forming the web under tensioninto a vertical tube with the longitudinal edges in overlapped relationand with the tube' having a lower transverse seal, inserting a solidarticle through the former into the tube in'close engagement withtheinner faced the tube and supported by the transverse seal and thetension of the tube, and vertically longitudinally heat sealing'saidedges together with the article providing" an interior support for thelongitudinal sealing, the portion of the tube at which the sealing ofthe edges is effected being free from sidewise restraint other than thatof its own tension.

3. The method of making packages from a continuous web of sheet materialwhich comprises sequentially advancing the sheet material over aninternally unobstructed tube former and forming the web under tensioninto a vertical tube with the longitudinal edges in overlapped relationand with the bottom closed by a transverse seal, inserting an articlethrough the former into the tube in close engagement with the inner faceunder tension into a vertical tube with the longitudinal edges inoverlapped relation and with the bottom closed by a transverse seal,inserting an article through the former into the-tube in closeengagement with the inner faceof the tube andsupported by the closedbottom and the tension of the tube, and vertically longitudinally heatsealing said edges together with the article provid ing an interiorsupport for the longitudinalsealing, the portion of the tube at whichthe sealing of the edge is efieetedbeing' free from sidewisc restraintother than that of its own tension.

5. Iii-apparatus for the continuous packaging of' articles from a web ofsheet material, an upright forming and article introducing shoe havingspaced I overlappin g end portions'forformin'g the Web into a verticaltube with overlapped edges, members movable below said shoe foradvancing said tube downwardly of said shoe under tension and fortransversely sealing said tube, and said shoe being non-circular intransverse cross section, and a longitudinal heat sealing memberengaging said tube below said shoe for longitudinally sealing said tube,said movable members and said tube providing a support for said article,said shoe and said movable members retaining said tube under tension atthe locations of engagement of said longitudinal heat sealing member,said article providing an internal abutment for the tube for thelongitudinal sealing thereof, and the tension of tube and the articleproviding the sole restraint of said tube against sidewise movementduring engagement of said longitudinal heat sealing member.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said shoe is free frominternal obstructions.

7. In apparatus for the continuous packaging of articles from a web ofsheet material, an upright forming and article introducing shoe havingspaced overlapping end portions for forming the web into a vertical tubewith overlapped edges, members movable below said shoe for advancing thetube downwardly of said shoe under tension and for transversely sealingsaid tube, said shoe being elliptical in transverse cross section, and alongitudinal heat sealing member engaging said tube below said shoe forlongitudinally sealing said tube, said movable members providing asupport for said article, said shoe and said movable members retainingsaid tube under tension at the locations of engagement of saidlongitudinal heat sealing member, said article providing an internalabutment for the tube, and the tension of said tube and the articleproviding the sole restraint of said tube against sidewise movementduring engagement of said longitudinal heat sealing member.

8. In apparatus for the continuous packaging of articles from a web ofsheet material, an upright forming and article introducing shoe havingspaced overlapping end portions for forming the web into a vertical tubewith overlapped edges, members movable below said shoe for advancingsaid tube downwardly and transversely sealing said tube, said shoe beingoval in transverse cross section, and a longitudinal heat sealing memberengaging said tube below said shoe for longitudinally sealing said tube,said movable members providing a support for said article, said shoe andsaid movable members retaining said tube under tension at the locationsof engagement of said longitudinal heat sealing member, said articleproviding an internal abutment for the tube for the longitudinal sealingthereof, and the tension of the tube and the article providing the solerestraint of said tube against sidewise movement during engagement ofsaid longitudinal heat sealing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS495,426 Murch Apr. 11, 1893 565,479 Maclay Aug. 11, 1896 1,986,422Zwoyer Jan. 1, 1935 2,037,139 Milmoe Apr. l4, 1936 2,162,230 SalfisbergJune 13, 1939 2,200,971 Sonneborn May 14, 1940 2,385,897 Waters Oct. 2,1945

